Flushing Meadows ready to host Cincinnati Masters as tune-up for U.S. Open
SHOWS: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 20, 2020) (ATP MEDIA/IMG - NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE)
1. USTA BILLIE JEAN KING TENNIS CENTER - WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN SIGN AND MASK/SOCIAL DISTANCING SIGN
2. TENNIS CENTER GROUNDS
3. VARIOUS OF ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM AND WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN SIGNS
4. PLAYER WALKING PAST SIGN ASKING PEOPLE TO PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING
5. VARIOUS OF ALEX ZVEREV PLAYING SOCCER ON SMALL TENNIS COURT
6. STEFANOS TSITSIPAS PLAYING SOCCER ON SMALL TENNIS COURT
7. FOUNTAINS AND WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN SIGN
STORY: Former champions Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams are scheduled to play this week at Western & Southern Open in New York City, which will serve as a tune-up for the U.S. Open.
The Aug. 20-28 event, which was relocated from Cincinnati this year because of COVID-19, will also see defending champions Daniil Medvedev and Madison Keys among the entries.
The Masters 1000 event will be the first on the men's calendar since play was suspended in March because of the virus.
Among the men's entries, that will see 40 of the top 43 ranked players, are world number three Dominic Thiem, 2017 champion Grigor Dimitrov and Marin Cilic.
World number three Karolina Pliskova, who won the event in 2016, is the highest-ranked player on the women's side that will feature 39 of the top 53 players in the world.
The women's WTA Tour played the Top Seed Open, won by Jennifer Brady, last week in Lexington, Kentucky.
(Production: David Grip)
